Education, a mental revolution and the people working towards their advancement

Wednesday David and I had the opportunity met with one of the mayors of the city of Jacmel (there are 3). We met him at a building across from the city hall, which we could see from cracks on the façade had been damaged by the earthquake. He explained to us that many of the public offices had been affected and people were working from ill-equipped buildings, and some under tarps outside.

I asked the same question I asked everyone I came into contact with in Haiti. What would you like to see happen in this country in the next 10 years?

His answer matched the beliefs of many people I talked to: a mental revolution - of the leadership and the population. He felt it was happening, that leadership was focusing more on improving the situation of the people and that people were moving towards empowering themselves and working together at a community level to seek out opportunities.

He also said education was the most important change that was needed to make this happen, something I heard from each and every person we met with. Roughly 50% of school-age children between 2003 and 2008 attended primary school, according to UNESCO. People without access to basic education are left out of decision-making processes and opportunities for employment. It has created a downward spiral that has made finding a livelihood and opportunities in Haiti difficult since long before the earthquake.

After our meeting, Maya, the director of advancement for St. Joseph’s, who was also helping us with translation during meetings and guiding us around Jacmel, showed us the building he had been in 5 minutes before the quake - an obviously beautiful hotel where he had been with a group of visitors. When the quake happened he was walking on the street, the earth rumbled, he had no idea what it was and he grabbed onto a tree. The tree began to shake, and he threw himself to the floor and emerged unscathed.

After showing us the remains of the rooms that he and the visitors had escaped by minutes, Maya also told us his life story. Maya had been a child slave. At age 6 his parents gave him over to his grandmother, who died a short while later. After her death, his aunt took him in. He was made to do the work for the entire household, he was beaten and abused until one day he ran away – preferring to live on the streets, begging and stealing for food. He was on the streets for 6 months, until he was put into a detention center where street children were held. Michael, the founder of St. Josephs, found him there one day and was able to take him in. At the age of 13 Maya experienced his very first day of school. He was cared for, loved and fed for the first time. He now supports the parents that abandoned him and has a family of his own, who he cares for in addition to the kids at the St. Joseph’s Family schools.

Maya and myself in a meeting in Jacmel

Maya’s goal is for St. Joseph’s kids and other Haitian children is to help them develop skills so that they can have an occupation and empower themselves. He is working with St. Joseph’s to further develop their programming in education and leadership. He wants to be able to make it easier for the children of Haiti to achieve the education and "mental revolution" he was privileged to obtain.